More Palermo

There is so much to see in Palermo. So I've selected a few more examples: some churches, some architecture, some street life.
The 1st 2 pictures are at the cathedral which dates to the 12th century. It is built upon an older church reportedly dating to Gregory I. During the Muslim period before the Norman conquest, it was used as mosque. That becomes important in the 2nd picture which shows the entrance to the cathedral. The columns are reused from the previous church/mosque. If you enlarge the picture and look at the far left column, you will see a plaque of the same stone. This contains a verse from the Koran. Muslim decoration at a church, demonstrating once again that mutual respect is possible and has precedent.
The 3rd and 4th pictures are at the Chiesa del Gesu, the Jesuit church here. The 3rd picture is the exterior that is somewhat iconic for Palermo. The 4th picture is the ornately decorated nave. The church dates to the 17th century, though most of what is here is a restoration after extensive bomb damage during world war 2.
The 5th picture was taken from the roof of St. Catherine's Church (see another post). The most significant thing to see is the building with the 3 red domes. This is another example of the Arab Norman Byzantine architecture found here. The domes reflect Muslim architecture, but the building is a church (Chiesa di San Cataldo). And it was built as a church; it's not a converted mosque.
The last picture switches to street life. Palermo isn't just a city of churches. There are many street markets around town. I visited most of them and even had a really good sandwich for €5 at one of them. The problem is that I don't remember which one I was at when I took this picture. They are all wonderful. I would be a regular.Read more